Hotel of Bees

In June, I purchased the Hotel of Bees Shawl pattern by Christina Hadderingh. I had been looking for a crochet pattern on Ravelry and this one has exceeded my expectations. I started this with navy, light blue and grey. This isn’t a difficult pattern by any means but it does require reading of every pattern line because each row is very different from the previous one. I personally like that I have to pay attention to the changes in the pattern because it is keeping me from by usually getting bored of the repetition. When I had originally seen the projects and photos of this, I didn’t think that it was done using crochet – I thought it had been knitted because of some of the ways that the fabric looked. I do not like to brag about myself, but I am a pretty decent crocheter. I also knit, but not well. The hitch is that I prefer the way that knitted items look in favor of crochet. But my knitting is so slow and a lot of times I get bored or lose count of stitches or make too many mistakes. SO – back to Bees. I was going to visit my grandmother. Her house is in the mountains and she doesn’t have internet. So, I knew that meant that I couldn’t play my video games on my phone, check my email, Facebook browse, and all the time wasters that I have going on that I think are just SO Important . I downloaded the pattern and it came with a visual guide that I downloaded onto my laptop. I had some yarn (there is no lack of it in my home) and put it in a bag with my crochet hooks. Before I started, I took my time to look at the Visual Guide that was provided as well as browsed a bunch of projects, comments and forum posts on Ravelry. I don’t know what I would do without that site anymore! The pattern so far has been great. I honestly love it. There are different sections of this shawl and every 10 rows or so, the stitch will change to something else. I am definitely not bored at all. So, here I am so far. these are the pictures that I took last week and today. I am on hold with a phone call so I will be crocheting a little more this morning. I hope that if you are thinking about doing this pattern, that you definitely do it. It’s not a difficult pattern by any means it only requires that you pay attention to every single row. Each row is different from that last but there is still a flow that comes with the sections.

 

Q & A

I found this very interesting. It’s 200 Questions to get to know someone. I figured I would answer them so that you can get to know me.

1. 1. 1. If you didn’t have to sleep, what would you do with your time?
         1. knit
         2. Crochet
         3. Gardening
         4. Spending time with family and friends
      2. What’s your favorite piece of clothing you own/owned? Blue Manolos
      3. What hobby would you get into if money weren’t an issue? spinning
      4. What would your perfect room look like?
      5. What fictional place would you most like to go? Wonderland
      6. What job would you be terrible at? Housekeeping
      7. When was the last time you climbed a tree? I don’t think I ever have
      8. If you could turn any activity into an Olympic sport, what would you have a good chance of winning a medal for? crocheting
      9. What is the most annoying habit that other people have? Chewing food with their mouth opened
      10. What job do you think you’d be really good at?
          1. receptionist
          2. graphic designer
      11. What skill would you like to master? woodworking
      12. What would be the most amazing adventure to go on? alaskan cruise
      13. If you had unlimited funds to build a house that you would live in for the rest of your life, what would the finished house be like?
          1. google search “magnolia homes“
          2. “Pottery Barn”
          3. 
      14. What’s your favorite drink? Coke in a can
      15. What state or country do you never want to go back to? Tampa, FL
      16. What songs have you completely memorized?
      17. Party in the USA by Miley Cyrus
      18. Scenes from an Italian Restaurant by Billy Joel
      19. Both Hands by Ani Difranco
      20. These albums
      21. Dave Matthews Band – Crash

          

          I listened to this non-stop in high school

      22. Indigo Girls 
      24. What game or movie universe would you most like to live in?
          Sex in the City in California & Mexico
      25. What do you consider to be your best find? Breville juicer
      26. Are you usually early or late? Late
      27. What pets did you have while you were growing up?
          1. a cat named Mittens
          2. a dog named Friday
          3. a dog named Blu
      28. When people come to you for help, what do they usually want help with? arts & crafts
      29. What takes up too much of your time?
          1. watching tv
          2. Playing video games
      30. What do you wish you knew more about? my family history
      31. What would be your first question after waking up from being cryogenically frozen for 100 years? can cars fly?
      32. What are some small things that make your day better?
          1. fresh flowers
          2. chicken parmigean
          3. talking to my mom
          4. texting friends
          5. music
          6. talking to the man in my life
          7. dinner watching Jeopardy
      33. Who’s your go to band or artist when you can’t decide on something to listen to?
          1. Billy Joel
          2. Green Day
          3. James Taylor
          4. U2
      34. What’s the best way to start the day? with a coffee then some yoga
      35. What shows are you into?
          1. DIY anything
          2. Homeland
          3. Killing Eve
          4. Friends From College
          5. Downton Abbey
          6. Columbo
          7. Greg Gutfeld
          8. Shameless
          9. Greys Anatomy
      36. What TV Channel doesn’t exist but really should? Arts & Crafts
      37. Who has impressed you most with what they’ve accomplished? My future husband
      38. What age do you wish you could permanently be? 32
      39. What TV show or movie do you refuse to watch? Horror movies
      40. What would be your ideal way to spend the weekend?  At a beach resort with my guy
      41. What is something that is considered a luxury, but you don’t think you could live without? Manicure and pedicures
      42. What’s your claim to fame? Being crafty
      43. What’s something you like to do the old-fashioned way? Knit, crochet, baking and spinning
      44. What’s your favorite book or movie?
          1. Book: Bridget Jones Diary & Shapaholic series are tied
          2. Movie: Silver Linings Playbook
      45.  How often do you people watch? Every other day
      46. What have you only recently formed an opinion on? Health and Fitness
      47. What’s the best single day on the calendar? My birthday
      48. What are you interested in that most people haven’t heard of? have no answer for this
      49. How do you relax after a hard day work? marijuana or cocktail
      50. What was the best book or series that you’ve ever read? Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
      51. What’s the farthest you’ve ever been from home? Ireland
      52. What is the most heartwarming thing you’ve ever seen? My guy playing with my cat

          

          Lilly

      53. What is the most annoying question people ask you? I stray away from annoying people
      54. What could you give a 40-minute presentation on with absolutely no preparation? Crocheting
      55. If you were a dictator of a small island nation, what crazy dictator stuff would you do? Everyone must be nice, work is part time for everyone, minimum wage is enough to feed a family of 5 and keep a roof over their heads, community service is mandatory and all health care is free when you do community service
      56. What is something you think everyone should do at least once in their lives? Use their passports
      57. Would you rather go hang gliding or white water rafting? Rafting
      58. What’s your dream car? Right now, a White BMW SUV

          

          only $106,000

      59. What’s worth spending more on to get the best? Anything that makes you happy
      60. What is something that a ton of people are obsessed with but you just don’t get the point? The Kardashians
      61. What are you most looking forward to in the next 10 years? Traveling and fixing up our home
      62. Where is the most interesting place you’ve been? Saranac Lake Winter Carnival parade and ice castle in February- attended yearly 
      63. What’s something you’ve been meaning to try but haven’t gotten around to? Donating extra clothing, books and miscellaneous items we no longer need
      64. What’s the best thing that happened to you last week? An excellent job review
      65. If all jobs had the same pay and hours, what job would you like to have? Graphic designer
      66. What amazing thing did you do that no-one was around to see? No thought on this one right now
      67. How different was your life one year ago? Polar opposites
      68. What quirks do you have? Talking to myself out loud, not folding clothes, lazy
      69. What would you rate 10/10? Downton Abbey
      70. What fad or trend do you hope comes back? doilies
      71. What’s the most interesting piece of art you’ve seen? Picasso paintings
      72. What kind of art do you enjoy the most? Van Gogh
      73. What do you hope never changes? My creativity
      74. What city would you most like to live in? London
      75. What movie title describes your life? Trainwreck
      76. What’s the best way a person can spend their time? Learning something new
      77. If you suddenly became a master at woodworking, what would you make? a nightstand to match mine for the bedroom so that they both look the same
      78. Where is the most relaxing place you’ve ever been? Dominican Republic
      79. What is the luckiest thing that has happened to you? meeting my partner
      80. Where would you rather be from? the south – I would love to have a southern accent
      81. What are some things you would like to unlearn? overspending, my poor drive skills
      82. What are you looking forward to in the coming months? leaves changing, going upstate NY to see my Gram
      83. What website do you visit most often? Ravelry
      84. What one thing do you really want but can’t afford? upgrades on my Jeep
      85. Where do you usually go when you have time off? NY
      86. Where would you spend all your time if you could? outdoors
      87. What is special about the place you grew up? lots of love, sandy beaches within walking distance and tons of friends to play with
      88. What age do you want to live to? 85
      89. What are you absolutely determined to do? find a use for all this vintage stuff in my house
      90. What is the most impressive thing you know how to do? crochet
      91. What do you wish you knew more about? cooking
      92. What question would you most like to know the answer to? God vs Science
      93. What question can you ask to find out the most about a person? What do you do?
      94. When was the last time you changed your opinion / belief about something major? Last year, the definition of family
      95. What was the best compliment you’ve received? I’m a good person
      96. As the only human left on Earth, what would you do? try to survive
      97. Who inspires you to be better? my mother
      98. What is something you will NEVER do again? get in trouble
      99. What do you spend the most time thinking about? right now – how to get a job
      100. What are some of the events in your life that you made you who you are? Being raised by a single mother, my father’s alcoholism, my partner’s love and commitment to me
      101. What do you wish your brain was better at doing? shutting off
      102. There are two types of people in this world. What are they? Thinkers and Do-ers
      103. What is something you are certain you’ll never experience? Child birth
      104. If you could make one rule that everyone had to follow, what rule would you make? Be kind to one another
      105. What are you addicted to? cigarettes and video games
      106. What stereotype do you completely live up to? Connecticut white lady
      107. What is something you can never seem to finish? laundry
      108. As you get older, what are you becoming more and more afraid of? not making a difference
      109. What is one of your favorite smells? citrus
      110. What would you do if you knew you were going to die in an hour? Have sex and tell my parents how much I love them
      111. If you had to change your name, what would you change it to? Delia
      112. Who is / was your most interesting friend? Sara
      113. Have you given to any charities? Yes – MS Society, Alzeiheimers, Cancer, AlAnon, AA
      114. What is something your friends would consider “so you”? Spilling, falling, tripping or being clumsy
      115. What risks are worth taking? Love & Happiness
      116. What can you not get right, no matter how many times you try? Understanding cars, taxes and the DMV
      117. What would be some annoying things about having yourself as a roommate? I am so messy and I have too many clothes and crafts
      118. What’s something your self-conscious about? My weight
      119. What personality trait do you value most and which do you dislike most? Value most: I try to be a good person Dislike most: Impatient
      120. What gets you fired up? Family
      121. What challenging thing are you working through these days? Depression and Fatigue
      122. What’s the best and worst piece of advice you’ve ever received? Best: Live a balanced life Worst: ?
      123. What’s the last adventure you went on? It’s been a while (I think it’s time for a new one. The last one was to Vegas, Grand Canyon and Phoenix
      124. When do you feel truly “alive”? Taking the Jeep out on a beautiful day with the top of and cruising around the beaches in my town
      125. What was the most memorable gift you have received? Yankees Yearbooks collection, White China Dinnerware set from my mother; Handmade box from my father; Secretary desk from my mother that my father refinished for me; Barbie ornaments from my partner
      126. What chapters would you separate you autobiography into? Childhood, Adulthood, Elderhood (hopefully)
      127. What do you like most about your family? We are all so loyal to one another and my cousins are always there for me
      128. What do you hope your last words are? I love you
      129. What are the three most significant numbers in your life? 14, 175 & 24
      130. What could you do with two million dollars to impact the most amount of people? Start a charity and hire my mother as CFO
      131. If you were put into solitary confinement for six months, would you stay sane? Not a chance
      132. Which of your scars has the best story behind it? The one above my left eyebrow – I got it trying to steal a street sign from Danielle Court with three friends
      133. What’s the title of this chapter of your life? Adulting
      134. What mistake do you keep making over and over again? Procrastination
      135. When people look at you, what do you think they see / think? Average Housewife
      136. What have you created that you are most proud of? An American Flag afghan for my Grandmother, A sweater for Juniper, A hooded sweater for Ashlynn

           

           Ash

           , A bunch of ceramic pumpkins

      137. If you could make a 20 second phone call to yourself at any point in you life present or future, when would you call and what would you say? I’d call myself before my father died and tell myself to go to his house to be there to call 911 and maybe he would be alive
      138. What do you regret not doing or starting when you were younger? Going to college
      139. If you could have a never-ending candle that smelled like anything you wanted, what fragrance would it be? Ralph Lauren Romance
      140. What’s the best thing about you? I’m loyal, goodhearted and fun
      141. Whats the best thing you got from your parents? Creativity
      142. What’s one responsibility you wish you didn’t have? Tie between paying bills and cleaning
      143. If your childhood had a smell, what would it be? The beach
      144. Whats the best and worst about getting older? Being in pain, forgetting things
      145. What lifestyle change have you been meaning to make for a while now? Quitting smoking, exercising, eating healthier
      146. What would your spirit animal be? A turtle
           The turtle symbolism is characterized by the association with the Earth and earth symbols of groundedness and patience:
           Symbol of the world, of the Earth
           Ability to stay grounded, even in moments of disturbances and chaos
           Slowing down, pacing yourself
           Determination, persistence
           Emotional strength and understanding
           Ancient wisdom
      147. How do you hope you will change in the future as a person? I hope that I become financially incredibly successful and that I weigh 105 lb
      148. What keeps you up at night? Grief, sadness, listing all the things that I need to take care of
      149. What is the most surprising self-realization you’ve had? The world does not revolve around me
      150. Whats the most illegal thing you have done? Stealing after smoking marijuana
      151. What lie do you tell most often? I’ll do that (and don’t)
      152. What do you regret not doing? Going to college
      153. What gives your life meaning? My family
      154. What do you most look down on people for? What do you think other people look down on you for? I try not to look down on anyone because I do not know anyone’s circumstances and I’ve been looked down on from people because of where I live, growing up poor, not being the most clever, having a shitty job, not being the prettiest, being overweight, having multiple sclerosis and having depression
      155. What bridges do you regret burning? I don’t wanna go there specifically but there are a few friends I burned and a few jobs and a few hearts
      156. What are you most insecure about? my looks
      157. How do you get in your own way of success? I give up
      158. What’s one thing that you really wish you. could go back and undo? my father’s death
      159. What are you afraid people see when they look at you? fat and ugly

    

Hiawatha Nautical Beret

Nautical Beret

Nautical Beret from Hiawatha 1945

…pert, saucy and over one eye

Materials:

Hiawatha Strawlite Art. 47, 2 tubes

Steel crochet hook No. 0, or bone crochet hook No. 3

2 yards grosgrain ribbon 1/2″ wide

Small quantity millinery sizing

Notes: Work all sc rnds tightly

Instructions: Ch 5. Join with sl st into ring. 1st rnd– 12 sc in ring. Join with sl st into 1st sc. 2nd rnd– Ch 1, draw up loop on hook to measure 1/2″, (thread over, insert hook in sc and draw loop through) 3 times; thread over and draw through all loops on hook, ch 1 to fasten- puff st made. *Ch 1, make puff st in next sc. Repeat from * around, joining last ch-1 with sl st to 1st puff st (12 puff sts). 3rd rnd – Ch 1, 2sc in puff st, *sc in ch, 2sc in next puff st, Repeat from * around (36 sc). Join. 4th rnd – Ch 1, *(puff st in next sc, ch 1) twice; skip 1 sc. Repeat from * around (24 puff sts). Join. 5th rnd – Ch 1, work sc in each puff st and each ch around (48 sts). Join. 6th rnd – Ch 1, *(puff st in next sc, ch 1) 3 times; skip 1 sc. Repeat from * around (36 puff sts). Join. Work in pattern, joining at end of every rnd, having 72 sc in the 7th rnd, 48 puff sts with ch-1 between on the 8th rnd, 90 sc on 9th rnd, and 60 puff sts with ch-1 between on 10th rnd. Join.
11th rnd – Ch. 1, * sc in puff st, skip 1 ch, sc in next puff st, sc in next ch. Repeat from * around (90 sc). Join. 12th rnd – Ch 1, work 60 puff sts with ch-1 between evenly arond. Join. Piece should measure 8″ in diameter. Repeat last 2 rnds 2 more times. (There are 4 rnds with 60 puff sts.)
17th rnd – Ch 1, work sc tightly in each puff st around (60 sts). Join. 18th rnd – Ch 1, work 48 puff sts evenly around (no ch-1 between puff sts). Join. 19th rnd – Ch 1, work 60 sc evenly around. Join. 20th rnd – Ch 1, work a puff st with ch-1 between each st around. Join. 21st rnd – Ch 1, work 2 sc in puff st, * sc in next puff st, 2 sc in next puff st. Repeat from * around. (90 sc). 22 rnd – Sc in each st around. Join and fasten off.
Finishing – Turn hat top down on table, brush inside with millinery sizing. Pull into shape and allow to dry. Cut 18″ of ribbon for band around 48 puff st rnd. Double remaining ribbon, make loops, sew ribbon in place as illustrated.

 

NOTE – I would love to see if anyone creates this pattern, so please comment or like so I know if I should upload more patterns to this site. Your feedback is greatly appreciated!

Old Crafty Things

My Nana Shirley passed away a few years ago and left behind a house full of interesting items. The house had belonged to her parents so when she married, she didn’t move. While my mother and I were cleaning out the guest bedroom we came across a TON of old fabric, yarn, knitting and crochet pattern books and all kinds of crafty items! I was looking at one of the magazines this morning that had been published in 1945. I’m thinking that I could write the patterns and post them but I am unsure if that is ethical and most important – legal to do. Anyone have any thoughts?

GOALLLLLLLLL!

The 2018 World Cup is happening now. I’m no expert on football (I only know American Football) but I have decided that I am going to watch it. Most times that there is something like the World Cup, Olympics or any competition, I like to have someone to root for. Unfortunately, this World Cup does not include the United States (where I live) so I had to choose a team. I think that the best team for me would be England.

I guess to start, I need to understand the basic rules. more to come.

Still smoking

But this time I’m going to be overly prepared so I can follow through

The last cigarette

Tasted as good as the first. But since it’s killing me, I quit. I had my final goodbyes to a long time companion 

Sponsorship

So I have a friend from Alanon and she’s lovely. She needs to find a sponsor and asked me if I would. So I’m considering it. In all reality it’s a little terrifying at the same time it’s a complete honor to be asked! I know that my journey is going to be a long one and I have a sponsor to help me on the way so I do believe that everyone in the program should have the trust with their deepest and darkest feelings and secrets. 

I’m also co-chairperson for an anniversary. Here’s some of my thoughts for the decor – the theme is blue and white spring

Training

Out of desperation I hired a personal trainer yesterday at the gym. I’ve been dieting now for a few weeks and working out every other day and I’m not having any results. So I meet my trainer on Monday. 

diet

I meet with a personal trainer again today at 1 pm. So far today I have had

• 2 coffees
• ii water
• smoothie “Chocolate Mint” – I personally HATE it but maybe you may like it, so here is the recipe:
  • 2 pitted dates
  • 1 cup raw milk (or almond milk)
  • 1/4 cup soaked almonds
  • 1 tablespoon cacao nibs
  • 1/2 cup packed mint leaves
  • 1/2 cup small avocado
  • 1 cup coconut water

Comparison:

Here is what the book’s look like:

and here’s mine: